


A Girl and Her Hellbeast

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: Luciferian Fics (One shots) [28]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: A little angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bullying, Gen, Mostly a Trixie story, a little fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 08:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10783368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: Trixie befriends an old Hellbeast who comes to Earth in search of Lucifer.Takes place after S2x08.





	A Girl and Her Hellbeast

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mia_Vaan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mia_Vaan/gifts).



> This is in response to Mia_Vaan's prompt, which was: Trixie befriends a giant Hellbeast (Trico of “The Last Guardian”). Thank you so much for the idea, Mia_Vaan, and for providing names and some dialogue to go with it. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Some images of Trico are included as reference for anyone who has not played "The Last Guardian."
> 
> I have not played “The Last Guardian,” so there will be description discrepancies between the Hellbeast and Trico. The Hellbeast’s wings are much larger, and i couldn’t tell if Trico’s tail was all feathers or a mix of feather and fur (I chose a mix). I figured a few changes are okay, since this is not Trico, it’s a Hellbeast. Hope this doesn’t bother anyone. :) 
> 
> Wanted to get this out, so it’s a little rough around the edges and has not been beta-ed -- sorry about that! I apologize for all mistakes.
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker, Trixie Decker and Dan Espinoza are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice.

 

 

His master was late.

The old Hellbeast whined as he sniffed the air, hoping to scent Lucifer.  What could be keeping him?  He was usually here by now.  Every day, the fallen angel hopped aboard his back, and together they rode across the sky of Hell to survey the domain.  Their excursions always brought great joy to the Hellbeast, for he loved his master dearly.  This break in the routine had him ruffling his giant wings in anxiety.  As he paced the desert sands, he again wondered where Lucifer was.

Wait -- there.  He could smell the clean fragrance of his master, so different from anything else in Hell.  Excitement set his heart pounding as he spotted the fallen angel.  The Hellbeast happily loped over to him, showing off his huge, razor sharp teeth.  Slowing to a stop before Lucifer, the giant creature nosed his master, nearly knocking him down in his exuberance.  Perhaps now they could go out for their ride!

But his master did not climb upon his back and urge him into the sky with a whoop and a laugh.  No... Lucifer merely gazed upon him with sad eyes as he laid his hand on the beast’s furry snout.

The Hellbeast sensed his master’s sorrow and instantly sobered, lying on his stomach and resting his chin on his bird-like front claws.  He whined softly as the fallen angel moved to pat the huge, feathery shoulder and the soft wing that sprouted from it.

“This is goodbye, old friend.  I have to leave you behind.”

Goodbye?  Blinking with surprise, the beast lifted his head and looked at him.  His master was leaving?

“I am quitting this place, and I can’t take you with me.  I don’t know what it’s going to be like up there.  I’ve heard stories from all the souls, and it sounds like Earth’s become a crowded, noisy place -- you won’t like it.  You won’t be happy there.”  Lucifer sighed as he leaned up against the Hellbeast.  “You were my first companion when I came here.  I shall miss you.”

The creature did not understand what his master was talking about.  Leaving?  For Earth...?  Why?  And when was he going?  Surely it would just be a short trip...?  He asked his questions in a series of quiet yips, but Lucifer only shook his head, his eyes filled with regret.

“I’m sorry, old friend.  Be happy.”  With that, the fallen angel gave the beast another good, solid pat, before turning and striding away without a backward glance.

They weren’t at least going for their daily flight...?  Disappointed, the Hellbeast curled up on the hot desert sand and sighed.  His master would go on his short trip, but he would return.  Yes.  He would come back, and all would be back to the way it was.  Nodding to himself, he closed his eyes and slept.

But the fallen angel did not return the next day, or the next.  The scent of him faded, but the Hellbeast refused to believe he was gone forever.  Each day, the giant beast awaited his return, hopeful that this time he would see his master.  Demons came and tried to ride him, but he rejected them all, taking great swipes at them with his claws or batting them away with his long, winding tail.  No one but his master could ride him -- no one!

Eventually the demons took the younger Hellbeasts as steeds, and left him alone.  The old creature waited faithfully for Lucifer, his nose to the air and sharp eyes to the sky.

But his master never came.

Countless years in Hell passed.  As time went by, the Hellbeast’s feathers lost their sheen, his fur grew thin and coarse, and he lost weight.  Haunting the desert landscape, he often bayed at the sky in sorrow.  Every day he lifted his nose to the wind to search for the scent of the fallen angel, but there was nothing.  Still, he did not lose hope.  Waiting patiently for Lucifer’s return, he hung onto the belief that his master would come back for him.

And then, finally, it happened.  One day he caught a whiff of an old familiar scent that set his heart pounding in his chest.  Riding on the dry winds was the very faint fragrance of his master -- he had returned!  Joy flooded the Hellbeast, filling him with warmth and excitement.  It had been so long...!  He had missed their rides, he had missed _him!_  Opening his large wings, the old beast leaped into the air and took flight.

He was not as strong as he once was, but he flew as fast as he could to the stone cells where the demons often patrolled.  By the time he arrived, all signs of his master were gone, like leaves scattered to the wind.  Crippling despair washed over the Hellbeast as he realized he had arrived too late.  Sitting on his haunches, he let out a great howl that rumbled across the sky like thunder and shook the very ground.  How could he have missed his master?  Why couldn’t he have flown faster?

Unwilling to be left behind yet again, the old beast decided to track down the fallen angel.  He may not have been as young and able as some of the younger Hellbeasts, but he could still follow a scent.  He would follow his master anywhere.  Taking to the sky, he followed the trail.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The old Hellbeast didn’t quite know how he had ended up in such an odd place.  The hot, arid climate of his birthplace had been replaced by cool breezes, and the sky was a bizarre blue color.  Instead of ash filling the air, there were white puffy floating things that morphed into weird forms like shapeshifting creatures.  The world had suddenly become crowded and strange, filled with some rocks that were half his height, and other tall stones that were so high they pierced the sky.

This place in which he found himself was appalling.  The noise hurt his sensitive ears, for the din _never_ stopped.  And the smells...!  The scents were ones he had never experienced before -- all foul and disgusting and horrific.  Some familiar odors touched his nose, like blood, but the acrid stench of humanity was so strong that he wanted to vomit.  Unable to catch the clean scent of his master, he suddenly felt lost.  He felt as if he was in some sort of nightmare.  He wanted to go home!

But he couldn’t.  His master was here, somewhere.

Vowing never to be left behind again, the Hellbeast tried to maneuver the strange, grid-like pathways.  His large body barely fit between the strange stones that housed little humans, and he was hard-pressed to avoid stepping on the colorful metal things that rushed around like ants.  Finally growing frustrated, he leaped from stone to stone just to get out of the way.  The stones -- no, not stones, little wooden boxes -- creaked dangerously as little humans rushed out of them, screaming, “Earthquake!”  Shrugging, he kept on going.

Wandering around aimlessly, the Hellbeast finally collapsed, exhausted, on a wide green field -- the only area that was big enough to accommodate his large body.  It was quieter too -- well, at least a little -- and the smells were not as repulsive here.  Curling into a ball, he tucked his nose under his long tail and closed his eyes.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“My daddy said your mommy is a lame detective!”

“And my mommy said your mommy killed a hero!”

“Hero killer!  Hero killer!”

Surrounding Trixie in the deserted schoolyard, the three boys pushed and shoved her until she fell to the ground.  She glared at them, feeling pure hatred for them.

“Nuh-uh!  My mom is a great detective!”  Jumping to her feet, Trixie shoved the largest boy, Wally Nelson.  The second boy, Danny Guerrero, grabbed her backpack, ripped out the books, and started throwing them at her.  Luckily he was a bad shot and mostly missed, although a stray notebook caught her in the face.  The last boy, Jeff Smythe, tripped her.  When she fell to the ground, Danny jumped on top of her, holding her down.  As she struggled against the bullies, Wally grabbed her by her hair and rubbed her face into the dirt.

Laughing, they gave her a final shove and walked away, leaving Trixie lying on the ground.

Tears of humiliation burned in the little girl’s eyes.  Mommy wasn’t a hero killer -- she knew, she had been there!  Malcolm wasn’t a hero, he was a bad cop who had kidnapped her, and if it hadn’t been for Mommy and Lucifer, she would be dead right now.

Bullies were stupid, and she hated them!

Pulling herself to her knees, she started gathering her things.  Every once in a while, she ran her forearm across her eyes, wiping away the tears that continued to flow.  She wished Daddy would come.  He had texted her to let her know he would be late, which was how she got caught alone with the three bullies.

As she picked up a notebook, she caught sight of a huge... thing... from the corner of her eye.  It was curled up on the school’s athletic field, sleeping, and was the size of a house.  Her books slipped through her boneless fingers and fell back onto the ground, forgotten, as she rose to her feet and stared at it.  How could the bullies not have noticed it?

It looked like a... well, a dog, sort of.  Maybe more like a hyena?  Except it had short horns sticking out of its head that were the color of Mommy’s turquoise earrings that she wore sometimes.  Its paws weren’t paws at all, but bird claws, and its whole body except for its head and tail was covered with feathers!  Its long tail seemed to be a combination of fur and feathers, ending in a fluffy tuft that it had tucked its nose under.  Only its head was completely fur, with large ears, like a hyena’s.  And it had _wings_ on its back!

Racing over to it, she stared at it in awe.  It... no, he -- she just knew it was a he! -- was beautiful!  Unable to contain her excitement, she jumped up and down.  “Wow!”

The giant hyena bird thing opened one eye -- which was bigger than Trixie’s head -- and stared at her.  She stared back, fascinated by the color of his eye, which was a deep green color, like a jade gemstone.

“You’re so pretty!  Where did you come from?”

He opened his other eye and blinked at her, then pulled himself up to sit on his haunches.  Yawning, he slowly stretched on his front claws like a cat, then bent down and took a deep sniff of her.  Trixie giggled and reached out to touch his nose, which was incredibly soft.

The creature cocked his head, as if confused by her.

“My name is Beatrice, but everyone calls me Trixie,” she told it happily.  “What’s your name?  I guess you can’t tell me.  But you’re so fluffy -- I know, I’ll call you Fluffy!”

“Trixie!”

The little girl turned at the sound of her father calling her.  “Daddy!” she cried as she raced back to the tall man who was just rounding a corner.

“Hey, monkey, there you are.”  Dan reached out and rubbed at the dirt on her cheek from where Wally had pushed her face into the ground.  “What happened here?”

Her eyes shifted away.  “N-nothing.”

“You sure?”  Glancing around, he saw the books scattered about.  “Aren’t these your things on the ground?”

Biting her lip, she stood there as he bent to pick up her books.  She didn’t want to tell him about the bullies -- that always made things worse.  But... she _could_ tell him about her new friend!  Trixie grabbed her father’s arm and pulled.  “Daddy!  Come see Fluffy!  Come on!”

“What is that, your class’s pet rabbit?”  He stuffed her books and papers into her backpack and handed it to her.  “Here you are, honey.”

“No, Daddy -- _Fluffy!”_  Trixie pointed at the big hyena bird creature watching them from across the field.  “Over there!”

Straightening to his feet, Dan shielded the sun from his eyes and scanned the playground.  “What am I looking for, monkey?  A bird?”

Trixie gaped at him.  “You... you don’t see Fluffy?”  She waved furiously at the house-sized monster.  “Over there!”

Dan frowned.  “Look, honey, Daddy doesn’t have time to play with your imaginary friends right now, okay?  We gotta get you home or your mother’s going to kill me.  Come on.”  Taking her hand, he led her away.

Looking over her shoulder, the little girl waved at the big creature.  “Bye, Fluffy!  I hope you’ll still be here tomorrow!”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Seeing the little human go, panic filled the Hellbeast.

When he had leaned down to take a great whiff of her clothes and caught the faint scent of his master, hope had risen inside of him.  Smelling the clean fragrance had left him awash in nostalgia.  How he missed his master!

She was his only link to Lucifer -- he had to follow!  Rising to his feet, he loped after them, sending the ground trembling.  He watched the two humans enter a large stone, and skidded to a halt. He would wait for them to come out.

Only... they didn’t come out.

As time passed and the shadows lengthened on the ground, he tilted his head and wondered what they were doing in there.  Lifting his nose, he sniffed the air, and realized that a faint aroma of the little human from the other side of the stone!  Had they come out a back way?

As anxiety wound its way around the great beast’s heart, he opened his huge wings and launched into the air.  Scanning the world from higher up, he tried to scent his master -- or the child -- but the strong odor of humanity overwhelmed him and he landed back onto the field, disappointed.  He had lost her.

He had lost his master.

With a heavy sigh, the Hellbeast resumed his curled up position on the field and watched the world darken into night.  Perhaps it was for the best -- this place was strange, unfamiliar, and disconcerting.  Besides, he was tired, for the journey had been long and arduous, and he was no longer as young as he used to be.

As he lay there, he pondered over the little human.  It was odd that the child wasn’t afraid of him... and that she carried the fragrance of Lucifer on her.  Her soft touch on his nose had reminded him so very much of one of the last pats he had received from the fallen angel.  Sorrow filled him.  To be so close to his master, and yet unable to track him down, left him despondent.  Closing his eyes, he hoped the little human would return.

If she came back, he would not lose her again.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“...and he was all fluffy with wings and stuff, and he was the size of a house!  He was huge!” Trixie told her mother later that night.

Chloe frowned as she tucked her daughter into bed, then took a seat on the covers beside her.  “Trixie, baby, we need to talk.”

Uh-oh.  Whenever Mommy got that tone in her voice, it never meant anything good.  Peering up at her, Trixie screwed up her face and asked, “About what?”

“Daddy told me today that when he picked you up, your books were all over the ground.”  Chloe reached out and touched the little girl’s cheek.  “And that it looked like you had been roughed up.”

Oh, no -- Mommy wanted to talk about the bullies.  Trixie’s insides started to hurt.  She didn’t want her to know what the mean kids had been saying about her.  Mommy was always strong, but sometimes she had sad eyes.  Besides, telling grown-ups about bullies never helped -- it just made things worse.

Chloe reached out and held her daughter’s hand.  “Look, if someone is giving you a hard time, you have to tell me.  I can help.”  When Trixie didn’t say anything, she asked, “Can you at least tell me what they said?”

Rolling away from her mother, the little girl threw the blankets over her head.  She stayed like that until she heard Chloe sigh and turn off the lights with a soft, “Good night, monkey.”  When it sounded like she had gone, Trixie popped her head out of the covers and sighed.  She didn’t know what to do.  For a long time she lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, as she searched for answers.  She didn’t find any.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The next day, Trixie was mortified to find out Chloe was driving her to school.

“But Mommy, can’t Lucifer drop me off like he did yesterday?” she whined as she tugged on her mother’s hand.

Chloe looked down at her and shook her head.  “I want to talk to Mrs. Mirakian and find out about what happened yesterday.  If you’re getting bullied, I want to put a stop to it.”

“Awww, but Mommy --”

“No, baby.  This is important.  No one bullies my daughter.   _No one.”_

And with that, Trixie had to be content.

As they drove to school, she shifted restlessly in the back seat as she wondered what the bullies might say if they saw her mother.  Mommy was awesome, but her feelings got hurt too, sometimes, especially when it had to do with her job.  Maybe they could rush to the classroom and Mommy could leave fast and no one would notice...?

Luckily when they arrived, it was still early and not too many students were there.  Trixie followed her mother into the classroom, dragging her feet the entire time.  Standing awkwardly to one side, she listened as Chloe told Mrs. Mirakian about her suspicions that her daughter was getting bullied.

“Is this true?” the teacher asked Trixie.  “Are you getting bullied?”

She didn’t answer, fidgeting as she held her mother’s hand.

Chloe bent down and looked her in the eye.  “Trixie, if you don’t tell the teacher, she can’t help you.”

When the little girl still refused to name her bullies, the teacher looked at the blonde woman.  “It’s okay.  I think I might have an idea of who might be bothering Trixie.  I’ll talk to them, Detective.”

“Thank you.”  Chloe said as Trixie tuned out the grown-ups’ conversation and wandered over to the window.  Peering out, she saw a huge beast curled up outside.

Oh!  Fluffy was still in the schoolyard!

Young students walked across the field toward the school, laughing and joking with each other, but no one seemed to notice the huge creature resting on the field.  They all seemed to leave a wide berth around him though, as if they could somehow sense his presence.  Anxious to go see the giant beast, Trixie shifted her weight from foot to foot until her mother stopped talking to Mrs. Mirakian and called her over.

“You have a good day, okay, monkey?” Chloe said, hugging her.

“You too, Mommy!” she cried, giving her mother a big squeeze before dashing out of the room.

Practically flying as she ran as fast as her little feet could go, Trixie raced across the playground until she skidded to a stop before the beast.  Fluffy stirred and lifted his head to look at her.  His eyes widened, and he bent down and took a deep sniff of her clothes.  Reaching out, she patted his soft nose and giggled.

Looking confused, Fluffy took another big sniff of her, then issued a soft rumble.

“You’re so pretty!”  Dancing to his side, she reached out and touched his claw.  Shifting his foot away, the big beast pulled himself to his feet.  After stretching like a cat, he started to lumber away.

“Wait, where are you going?”  Trixie hurried to keep up with the beast, which was hard, since he was so big.

His face was impassive as he turned to look down at her.

“Are... are you leaving?”  Distress tinged her voice.  “Did... did I scare you away?”

Casting a glance at the skyline, he started walking again.

Hurt filled Trixie as she struggled to keep up with him.  “Please stay!”

The big beast cocked his head as glanced at her, before continuing onward.

Trixie didn’t know what she had done to upset him, but she was desperate to fix it.  “I’m sorry!  Whatever I did, I’m sorry!” she yelled as she broke into a run.  “Please --”

Her foot caught on the uneven ground and she fell down with a cry.  Tears welled up in her eyes.  Why didn’t Fluffy want stay?  She had been so eager to be friends with him....

She should have known it would be like this.  It was the story of her life.  Bullied, friendless --

As she slowly picked herself up, she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.  That was when she realized Fluffy had stopped walking, and was looking at her with an anxious expression.

“It’s okay, I understand,” she said, her voice despondent.  “Lots of kids don’t like me, either.”

Letting the tears flow freely down her cheeks, she started back the way she came.  Fluffy sighed, sending a great gust of wind toward her that ruffled her hair and clothes.  As she walked, she realized that the big beast had turned and was following her.  When she stopped, he stopped.  When she walked, he walked.

Finally, she faced him with a question in her teary eyes.  Taking a step forward, Fluffy lowered his head and whined softly, as if in apology.  Then he bent down and nudged her on the chest with his snout, like a big dog or horse would, knocking her gently off her feet.

Trixie gaped at him.  “Hey!”   When she got back on her feet, he nudged her again, until she petted his nose.  He seemed content with that, closing his eyes.

“You’re just like a big dog.”  Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she gave him a wobbly smile.

Turning in a circle, he lay back down, with his head landing near her.  Trixie darted over to him and sunk her hands into the incredibly soft feathers that covered his body.  Fluffy merely glanced at her, then closed his eyes and issued a rumbling purr.

“Thank you,” she whispered, hugging him as best as she could.  “Thank you for being my friend.”

She stayed snuggled against him until the school bell rang, signalling the start of class.

At the sound, Trixie straightened and hugged Fluffy once again.  Dancing around to the front of him, her eyes sparkled with joy as she petted his nose.  “I have to go to class, but I’ll be back at recess and lunch!”

He blinked at her and started to rise to his feet, but she held out her arms.  “No no no, you can’t come with me.  You won’t fit in the classroom.  Stay here, okay?  I’ll be back at recess.”

When he made to follow her again, she petted his nose, then said sternly, “No.”  Fluffy seemed to understand, for he lay back down with a sad whine and stared at her with big, green puppy-dog eyes.  Trixie felt her heart clench, but she stayed firm.

“You stay here, okay, Fluffy?  I’ll be back!” Leaning over, she gave him a big hug and a kiss on his cheek, then dashed away.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The big beast didn’t know what to make of the little human.

Disappointed in no longer scenting his master on her, he had decided to leave.  What was the point in staying, if all traces of Lucifer were lost?  But then the child had fallen, and, worse yet, her eyes had started leaking, which made him feel... incredibly bad.  He shouldn’t have felt such a thing, for he was made from the stuff of nightmares.  A fierce and frightening Hellbeast!  And yet, her tears had touched something deep inside of him he hadn’t known existed.  She had been so sad....

Obviously, he was getting too old.  And soft -- definitely soft.  Whoever heard of a Hellbeast remorseful over how he treated a human?  And yet he was...

What was strange and a bit confusing to the great beast was what he had felt when the child had embraced him.  His insides had grown warm and his heart felt... full, as if it was bursting.  No longer alone, he was happy -- something he hadn’t been since he had last seen his master.

Remembering Lucifer brought his attention back to the problem at hand.  His master was still out there -- somewhere -- but the child wanted him to stay.  Thinking hard, the Hellbeast reviewed his options.  Faint as the scent had been, he was sure that he had caught the fallen angel’s fragrance on her clothes the day before -- surely that meant she had some contact with him, and would again?  The little human and the fallen angel had to have some sort of connection.  Perhaps, if he stayed with her, his master might appear soon.

Telling himself he was doing it to see Lucifer again and not because the child made him feel happy, the Hellbeast made himself comfortable on the green field, and waited.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

For the next few days, Trixie’s life fell into a strange routine.

Before school started and at recess, she petted Fluffy and gave him lots of hugs.  He seemed to really like that, purring happily.  Sometimes he even rolled onto his side and let her pet his stomach.  At lunchtime, she gave the giant beast her meal -- he seemed really hungry -- then played with him.  After school she said her goodbyes to him and told him to stay, before running to meet her father at the front of the school.

Fluffy was always there waiting for her the following day, his green eyes shining bright with anticipation.

No one seemed to notice the giant beast, which Trixie found really weird, but she accepted it as just one of those things that happened.  Equally strange was that no one seemed to notice her as she hugged the creature or fed him lunch or talked to him, which was... good?  She didn’t know, but it really didn’t matter -- she was happy.

The bullies also left her alone.  She wasn’t sure why, but she was happy for the reprieve -- even though she didn’t think it would last.  Mommy had talked to Mrs. Mirakian, but the teacher couldn’t be around all the time.  The fear that the boys would corner her again ate at her nerves.

Sensing her anxiety, Fluffy often curled around her so that she felt safe and protected.  She wished she could stay wrapped up in his soft, warm feathers forever.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

It was on a Friday afternoon after school let out when the bullies struck again.

Trixie had gotten a message from her mother, telling her that Lucifer was picking her up, but there had been an accident on the freeway and he was running late.  Excited that she could tell Lucifer about her new friend -- although she was sure he wouldn’t be able to see him, like everyone else -- she gathered her books and started to walk through the empty halls toward the front entrance.  She hadn’t even given a thought to her three tormentors until she saw them ahead of her, loitering about.  As her footsteps slowed to a stop, Danny spotted her first, nudging Wally, then Jeff, and pointed at her.  Ugly smiles flashed on their faces as they started sauntering toward her.

Dread churned in her stomach, then panic, as she started walking backward, struggling to keep a good distance between them.  They looked like they were going to beat her up.  Were there any teachers around?  If she ran back to class and no one was there, she’d be trapped.  No -- that wasn’t a good plan.  If it had been only one boy, she could have punched him in the face... but three?  Three against one were not good odds, as her father always told her.

She turned and ran.

The side door was her best bet -- it opened up to the playground and hopefully Fluffy was still there.  She had already said goodbye to him right before her mother had texted her -- would he have left?  Pumping her legs hard, Trixie raced through the exit door and flew out onto the school yard.  Horrible memories of the last confrontation with the boys filled her, and she had the feeling that this time it would be worse.  Rounding a corner, she felt relief flood her as she saw Fluffy’s big body curled up on the grass.  He was so far away, though --

“Fluffy!” she yelled as Jeff caught up with her, grabbed her by her backpack and yanked her to a stop.

“Hey, look what I found,” he laughed as he shook her and swung her around to face Wally and Danny.  “It’s the lame-o detective’s squealing kid.”

“Yeah, you told on us and we got detention,” Wally said.  Grabbing her clothes, he pulled her close.  “You’re gonna pay for that.”

“I’m not afraid of you!” Trixie yelled, kicking him in the shin.  With a curse, the big bully shoved her to the ground, then took a few steps back, grabbing his injured leg.  Danny stepped into Wally’s place, leaning over and gripping her arm painfully as he yanked her to her feet.

“You should be,” he hissed. “When we get through with you --”

A deafening roar suddenly ripped through the air, surrounding them in a vortex of sound.  All four of them grabbed their ears, trying to block out the reverberating bellow.  Trixie looked up.  Fluffy stood before them, monstrously huge, with his feathers puffed out threateningly and his eyes glowing a fierce, bright red.  Baring his sharp teeth, he growled at the boys.

“Where did that thing come from?!” Jeff yelled as he pointed.

“Who cares about that -- what the hell is it?!” Wally screamed.

Danny shrieked as Fluffy slammed his front claw down on him, trapping him in a prison of massive talons.  The giant beast then slapped Jeff aside with his wing, knocking him across the playground, where the boy rolled before hopping to his feet and running for his life.  Faster than a striking snake, Fluffy grabbed Wally in his huge maw.

“Fluffy, no!” Trixie cried, holding up her arms.  “I’m okay!  Don’t kill them!”

The giant beast stared at her, his eyes still glowing bright red, and shook his snout as if to make a point.  Trapped inside the huge mouth, Wally let out a muffled scream and wet himself.

“I know, but I’m okay.  I don’t think they’ll bother me again.”  She shot an angry glance at Danny, still trapped in his shrinking prison as Fluffy slowly lowered his claw closer and closer to the ground, as if to crush the boy.  “Will you?”

“N-no!  No!  Never!”  Danny cried.

“And you’ll never call my mommy lame or a hero killer again, _will you?”_

“No! No!  Please --”  The boy started to cry.

Trixie nodded with satisfaction, then walked up and gently touched the giant beast’s claw.  “It’s okay, Fluffy.  You can let them go.”

Looking extremely disgusted, the giant beast spat Wally out of his mouth, then lifted his paw and released Danny.  The two boys scrambled away as fast as they could, while Fluffy bent low to Trixie and nudged her.  His eyes slowly lost their red glow and reverted to jade green.

“Thank you, Fluffy, thank you!” she cried as she wrapped her little arms around his snout and hugged him as hard as she could.  “You’re the best!”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

And that was how Lucifer found them.

The fallen angel had just pulled into the parking lot when he had heard the call of the Hellbeast.  The sound froze him into immobility, but only for a moment, before he was running toward the roar.  As he sprinted, his mind burned with questions, the foremost being: what was a Hellbeast doing _here,_ at the little spawn’s school?!

Ripping open the front doors to the school, he dashed through to the side door to the playground, where he suspected the beast was.  Just as he reached the exit, two boys threw the door open and ran screaming past him.  Pausing for only a moment to stare after them, Lucifer darted through the door and turned a corner to see Trixie embracing a Hellbeast.

And not just any Hellbeast -- his old friend.

Joy flooded his insides at the sight of his faithful companion.  Leaving behind the giant beast had been his only regret when he’d abandoned Hell -- and now his old friend was here!  Grinning broadly, he strode up to the pair.

The giant beast spotted him first, his jade eyes widening at the sight of the fallen angel.  Gently nudging Trixie to one side, he rushed up to Lucifer and knocked him over with his snout, then licked him with his slobbery tongue as the fallen angel tried to escape.

“No, no -- bloody hell, not the tongue!” Lucifer cried.  “Not on the Armani!”

The Hellbeast chuffed out a series of soft, happy woofs that sounded like laughter as he continued to lick the fallen angel all over.  Finally Lucifer sat up, wiping the drool from his face as he reached out to touch the giant beast’s nose.  “I’m happy to see you, too.”

Trixie gawked at the two of them.  “You... you know Fluffy?”

“Fluffy?”  Lucifer gave her a puzzled look as he climbed to his feet.  “Who’s Fluffy?”  Glancing down at himself, he grimaced.  “Ugh, this suit is ruined....”

The little girl slowly approached him and pointed at the Hellbeast.   _“That’s_ Fluffy.”

 _“Him?”_  Gaping, the fallen angel felt dread course through him.  “Oh no.   _Please_ don’t tell me you named him Fluffy.”

“Uh-huh.”  She nodded with a big smile.  “Is he yours?”

Lucifer glanced up at the beast, who looked from Trixie to the fallen angel with a joyful grin and a lolling tongue.  “Well, he’s no one’s, really, but he’s been my companion for a long time.  I had to leave him behind when I came here.  He must have followed me back after I... well, it doesn’t really matter.  He’s here.”

“Wow, he’s so faithful!”

“That he is.”  Lucifer gave the creature a fond look.  “What am I going to do with you?” he asked as he scratched under the Hellbeast’s chin, causing the creature’s back claw to thump against the ground quickly.

“How come you can see him?” the little spawn asked.  “No one else can -- well, except the bullies when Fluffy came to save me --”

Hold on -- she had been _bullied_ ?  The thought of the child getting picked on infuriated Lucifer.  No one touched the detective’s daughter -- _no one._  Although that thought thoroughly puzzled him, for he disliked children -- didn’t he? -- he decided he’d figure out these strange, pesky emotions later.  Right now he needed to find out who was torturing her, so that he could punish them.  “You were getting bullied?  Bloody hell, child, why didn’t you say so?  Who are the bloody culprits?  How long has this been going on?”

The child looked away uncomfortably.  “Uh... a while now....”  Then she brightened.  “But they’ll never bother me again!”

The fallen angel eyed her suspiciously.  “Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh!  Fluffy did a good job scaring them!  He saved me!”

“Very well.”  Lucifer felt himself relax, thankful that the Hellbeast had come when he had.  As he nodded with satisfaction, the fallen angel suddenly realized what Trixie had said and blinked with surprise.  “Just one moment -- how did you get him to save you?  Come to think of it, how can you see him?”

Trixie giggled as the huge creature nosed her, looking for more pats.  “I could always see Fluffy!  He’s my friend.”  Smiling up at him, she spread her arms wide and hugged him.  “I love Fluffy!”

Lucifer stared at the pair of them in amazement.  Goodness, was the old Hellbeast _blushing?!_

“Well!”  Giving the creature a teasing look, he shook his head with mock disappointment.  “You’ve grown soft, old friend!”

Tossing his head, the beast snorted before nudging Trixie for more attention.

“I gave him my lunch,” the little girl continued as she stroked the Hellbeast’s snout.  “I don’t think he’s eaten anything for a long time.”

Frowning, Lucifer circled the pair and looked the giant creature over.  “Hmmm... he does look like he hasn’t been eating.  I’ll buy him some cattle to feed on.”

At his words, Trixie’s face lit up like the sun.  “Can we keep him, then?  Can we, can we?”

“Ah... right.  Well... I’m not really sure --”

“Please!  Please, Lucifer, please!”  The little girl raced over and barreled into him, clutching him around the waist as the fallen angel yelped in distress.

“Gah!”  Lucifer struggled to remove himself from her embrace, but her arms had wrapped around him tighter than an octopus’s tentacles.  Beckoning to the Hellbeast for assistance, he was dismayed to see the giant beast grinning at him.  “What are _you_ smiling at?  Come on -- help me!”

The traitor just watched with amusement as his tail flicked back and forth.

“Please, Lucifer! Puuhhhhhleeeeeeze!”

When Trixie stared up at him with those pleading, puppy-dog eyes, the fallen angel felt dismay to the very marrow of his bones.  Oh no -- he could never resist the puppy-dog look!  Still, he tried his best to put up a good fight.  “It’s not really for me to say.”

“Why not?”

“Right.  He’s very sensitive to smells and sounds.  Being here is probably torture for him --”

“But he’s been fine!  Please, Lucifer!”

“But -- it’s not -- he can’t --”

“Pleeeeeease, Lucifer!  Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?”  Hugging him even harder, she then started swaying him back and forth as if he was a giant plushy toy.  “Puhleeeeeeze?”

Rolling his eyes, Lucifer finally capitulated.  He never could hold out against the little one, no matter how hard he tried.  “Oh, very well.  We’ll find a quiet place for him somewhere.  Perhaps he can get used to Earth.”

“Yay!”  Releasing the fallen angel so quickly he was thrown off-balance, the little girl raced to the giant beast and hugged him.  “Did you hear that, Fluffy?  Did you hear that?  We get to be together forever and ever and ever!”

The Hellbeast let out a pleased rumble.

“Not so fast.”  Wagging his index finger at the creature, Lucifer said, “Right.  Since you refused to help me earlier, you traitor, I’m going to entrust the little human to your care -- I don’t want to hear of any more instances of bullying.  Is that understood?”

Straightening and thrusting out his chest, the giant beast looked extremely pleased, as if that was what he had wanted all along.  Pinching the bridge of his nose, Lucifer wondered how he had been so thoroughly outmaneuvered by a little spawn and a Hellbeast, of all things....

“So what kind of animal is Fluffy?” Trixie suddenly asked as she darted back to him.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like him.”

“He’s a Hellbeast.”

She squinted up at him.  “Is that like a Tasmanian Devil?”

A smile quirked at the fallen angel’s mouth.  “No.  A Hellbeast is in a class all his own.”

“Oh.  Okay.”  The little human seemed to accept his vague answer, then tilted her head at him.  “But why can’t anyone else see Fluffy?”

“He’s very good at camouflage -- humans normally can’t see him unless he wills it.”  Lucifer shot a dark look at Trixie.  “And will you please stop calling him Fluffy?”

Instead of shaking in her shoes and instantly complying, she giggled at him.  “But he _is_ fluffy, so he’s Fluffy!”

Rolling his eyes, Lucifer wondered how he could get the child to stop calling the giant creature such a silly name.  She was so stubborn, like her mother....  His expression softened as he thought of Chloe, but when he saw the Hellbeast studying him with curiosity, he wiped the dreamy look from his face.  Clearing his throat, he schooled his expression into a stern one.  “Ah.  Right.  His name is not Fluffy.”

“Yes, it is!”

“No, it is not.”

“Is, too!”

Rubbing his forehead, Lucifer tried to reason with the little girl.  “Right.  Look at him -- he’s a Hellbeast!  My reputation will be ruined if I told your parents, ‘Congratulations, Detectives. Your daughter is the first human in history to befriend and tame a giant Hellbeast. And she's named him Fluffy.’”  He shook his head fiercely.  “No.  It’s unacceptable.  If you’re going to name him, name him something like Much Death or Sin Eater or --”

“What do _you_ call him, then?”

Taken aback, Lucifer gaped at Trixie.  “What do I --”

“Uh-huh.  What do _you_ call him?”

“Hellbeasts don’t have names.  I call him ‘old friend’ or just ‘Hellbeast.’”

The little spawn’s face screwed up with disdain.  “That’s like naming a dog ‘Dog.’”

Why did he suddenly feel like he had committed a cardinal sin?  “And what’s wrong with that?” he asked defensively.

Trixie rolled her eyes, reminding Lucifer so much of her mother that he took a step back in surprise.  “You can’t name a dog ‘Dog’ -- that’s just silly!”  Crossing her arms, the child thrust her lip out.  “His name is Fluffy!”

Goodness, the little spawn was adamant!  This called for bribery.  “Right.  What if I gave you chocolate cake?  Will that make you stop?”

She shook her head.  “Nope.”

“Cash?”  He pulled out a wad of bills and started peeling twenties from them, one at a time.

The little girl squeezed her eyes shut as Lucifer dangled temptation in front of her.

“Chocolate cake _and_ cash?”

Her face grew cunning.  “Chocolate cake, cash, _and_ I get to name him.”

Sneaky little spawn!  “As long as it’s not Fluffy.”

Nodding happily, she snatched up the cash.  “Okay!  I’ll name him... Blue, for his horns.”

Well, Blue certainly was better than Fluffy.  The fallen angel nodded in defeat.  “You drive a hard bargain.”

She giggled up at him.  “You’re just not very good at making deals.”

“I beg your pardon!”  The Devil’s mouth dropped open at her audacity while the Hellbeast let out a woof that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

But the little girl had already run back to the huge creature and was jumping up and down in front of him.  “Yay, Blue!  I can’t wait for Mommy to meet you!  Oh and when Maze comes back from her hunt, we’ll have such a wonderful time!”

Oh no.  The thought of Chloe meeting the Hellbeast had the fallen angel faltering in his footsteps.  How would the detective react when they brought home the gigantic creature?  Apprehension flooded through his insides, making his heart clench.  Lucifer knew already -- she would first blame him, saying that bringing a monster home was his fault, then she would proceed to slay him, murder him, chop him into little pieces....

He suddenly grinned.  Actually, the thought of a sexy Chloe burning with righteous anger was quite arousing.  After he explained to her how the Hellbeast had saved her spawn and that Beatrice would be the most well-protected little human ever, surely she would reward him with a kiss?  Or maybe... sex?  His insides hummed with excitement.

Whistling a happy tune, he watched the Hellbeast and the little girl frolic together on the field.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

As he played with the child, Blue took a deep breath of cool air and felt satisfaction sink into the very depths of his bones.  He had never imagined his search for his master would end like this.

He had been reunited with Lucifer, and he had a new duty -- to take care of the little human.  Pride filled his chest at having been appointed such an important task, for anyone could see that the child was important to the fallen angel -- why, look at how he let her maneuver him!  Blue chuffed out a wolfish laugh as he remembered the sight of the Devil yelping in fear as the little girl hugged and pleaded with him.

Pausing in his romp, he looked up at the blue sky, then all around him.  This world was a strange place, with its foul odors and loud noises, but as long as he was with his master and the child, he could adjust.  The Hellbeast had found a new home, and he was content.

 

 


End file.
